Eulalie POV
The morning sun offered no warmth as I stepped into the cold marble lobby of Madden Holdings. The air smelled of stale coffee, ambition, and the suffocating weight of my past. But today, I wasn't here to serve.
I bypassed the reception and headed straight for the fourth floor. The HR office reeked of printer toner and Mr. Henderson's nervous sweat. I slid my resignation letter across his desk.
He adjusted his glasses, his hands trembling slightly. "Luna, I... I can't process this. A resignation from the Executive Consultant position requires the Alpha's signature, and there's a mandatory notice period—"
*Show him your teeth,* Nyx whispered in my mind, her White Wolf aura flaring with icy dominance.
I leaned over his desk, planting my hands flat on the wood. "Let's be clear, Henderson. This 'position' is a sham. It's tax fraud for the IRS, and it's documented proof of an Alpha abusing Pack funds to financially control his mate. Stamp the paper, or my next stop is the Pack Elders to demand a formal inquiry."
Henderson's face drained of color. The threat of the IRS was bad, but the wrath of the Elders was a death sentence. He grabbed his stamp, slammed it onto the paper, and deactivated my keycard with shaking fingers.
The first chain was broken.
I snatched my copy and walked out, nearly colliding with Beta Jared in the hallway. He paused, his arms full of files, a look of mild surprise crossing his face. "Luna?"
I shoved the stamped copy of my resignation into his stack of folders. My voice held zero warmth. "Tell your Alpha I no longer work for him. And from today on, my name is Eulalie Moon."
Jared froze. His powerful Beta instincts slammed into the sudden, suffocating pressure of my White Wolf aura. He opened his mouth, but the sheer weight of my bloodline stole the words from his throat. I didn't wait for him to recover.
Stepping out of the glass tower, the crisp New York air hit my lungs.
"Back to beg Caden for forgiveness?"
I stopped. A tacky red Ferrari was idling by the curb. Adalynn rolled down the window, the stench of her cheap rose perfume polluting the air. She wore a smug, victorious smile, expecting me to be a broken, weeping Omega.
I walked slowly toward her car. As I approached, her smile faltered. I leaned down until I was inches from her face. Nyx rumbled low in my chest, a sound so dark and primal it made the windows vibrate.
"I'm here to take out the trash," I whispered.
Adalynn's eyes widened in pure terror. Her weak inner wolf whimpered, recognizing the lethal intent of an apex predator. I turned my back on her trembling form and descended into the subway station.
By 3:00 PM, the subway car was rattling through the dark tunnels. My phone lit up. A message from Mrs. Gable, Elara's principal: *Elara is looking for you at school today. She's very upset.*
An invisible hand crushed my lungs. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the urge to leap off the train and run to my pup.
*This is necessary. A cub must learn who her true protector is,* Nyx commanded, her logic flawless and agonizing.
With trembling fingers, I typed my reply: *From now on, direct all matters regarding Elara Madden to her father, Alpha Caden Madden, or Adalynn Henson. I am no longer her emergency contact.*
I hit send and immediately blocked the number. Tears finally spilled over my lashes, hot and bitter. To win this war, I had to let them break first.
*
Caden POV
I leaned back in my leather chair, smirking at the new selfie Adalynn had just texted me. She was wearing the diamond necklace I bought her yesterday.
The office door opened, and Jared walked in, looking unusually tense.
*Alpha, the Luna... she's resigned,* Jared mind-linked, placing a piece of paper at the edge of my desk. *And she's using her maiden name, Moon.*
I didn't even look up from my phone. I scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. *It's a power play, Jared. She thinks this little tantrum will get her a bigger allowance. She'll come crawling back the second her credit card is declined.*
"But Alpha, her scent—" Jared started aloud.
My inner wolf, Rage, snapped at the insubordination. I let my aura crash over the room, lacing my voice with the absolute, undeniable weight of the Alpha's Command.
*Don't mention this foolishness to me again. Now get out.*
Jared's jaw snapped shut. He bowed his head in submission, gathered his files, and left the room, taking her ridiculous resignation letter with him. I went back to texting Adalynn, completely unbothered.
